Thursday, March 20, 2014

Northeast Wolf Coalition Calls on FWS to Withdraw Gray Wolf Proposals

The Northeast Wolf Coalition,
a group of national, regional and local conservation organizations,
submitted a statement today to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in
opposition to its 2013 proposal to remove Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections for the gray wolf (Canis lupus)
in the contiguous United States. The Coalition took action in
response to FWS' reopening of the comment period as a result of a peer review report
by an independent panel of scientists produced by the National Center
for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) at UC Santa Barbara.
According to the report, FWS' move to strip federal protection from
nearly all gray wolves in the lower 48 states is based on insufficient
science.

The peer review committee was particularly critical of
the Service’s determination that the gray wolf never occurred in 29
eastern states. Based in part on preliminary conclusions from a single
2012 paper written by biologists employed by FWS, the Service contended
that the eastern half of the U.S. was occupied by Canis lycaon or the "eastern wolf," a distinct species of wolf and not belonging to the gray wolf species, Canis lupus.

Under
the ESA, FWS is obligated to recover endangered species across a
“significant portion” of its historic range. If the eastern half of
the U.S. was never a part of the gray wolf’s historic range, FWS
contends that Canis lupus (a.k.a. gray wolves) now occupy enough
of its historic range to be considered recovered. Thus, FWS made its
determination that gray wolves no longer warrant ESA protection.

But,
on February 7, 2014, the peer review panel reported that "there is
not currently sufficient scientific support for the recognition of C. lycaon
[eastern wolf] as a separate species... thus "there was unanimity
among the panel that the [delisting] rule does not currently represent
the ‘best available science.' "

"Best science regarding wolf
taxonomy and trophic cascades furnishes powerful evidence of our need
to conserve wolves in the northeastern US via ESA protection and other
available policy and management tools," stated Cristina Eisenberg. As
Aldo Leopold, Adolph Murie, and others argued so eloquently decades
ago, apex predators, especially wolves, are essential in order to have
resilient, healthy ecosystems. This is especially true today, given
climate change and habitat fragmentation."

The value and
importance of conserving endangered species and ensuring biodiversity
is an accepted axiom of the 21st century. The importance of a keystone
predator such as the gray wolf to a more functional ecosystem is
undeniable. That our policies would and should be motivated by the best
available scientific principles is critical. As a result, the
Northeast Wolf Coalition, with the guidance of scientific mentors and
advisers, urged FWS to withdraw its proposal with a statement submitted during the Service's public comment period.

"We
have unique opportunities and challenges here in the Northeast," said
Maggie Howell, Wolf Conservation Center. "The Northeast Wolf Coalition
is working together using the most current peer reviewed science to
raise awareness and increase public understanding about wolves. A
broad base of public support is necessary for wolves to recover and we
remain committed to ensuring that stakeholders become active stewards
in that regard. There are biological, economic and ethical reasons to
facilitate wolf recovery and the Coalition is eager to work with area
residents, organizations, and state and federal agencies to promote
the wolf's natural return to our region."

"Our Northeast boreal
and mixed-hardwood ecosystems in the Adirondacks need top predators
like the wolf to fully function. As wolves disperse from Canada into
our region from the North and the West - and we already have seen
significant evidence that this can and has happened - we simply must
preserve and protect wolves and all top canids. Thus we believe the
FWS' proposal to delist wolves has no merit." stated Dan Plumley,
Partner with Adirondack Wild: Friends of the Forest Preserve.

"The
FWS - and Northeastern state wildlife agencies - need to recognize
that wolf recovery dovetails with the recovery of collapsing ecosystems
in the Northeast." Chris Spatz, Cougar Rewilding Foundation.

“The
gray wolf should not be removed from the federal list of threatened
and endangered species,” said William C. Janeway, Executive Director of
the Adirondack Council in New York. “Clearly, the population of the
gray wolf has not been restored. There is no wolf population in the
Northeast. The proposed delisting would virtually prevent gray wolves
from naturally finding their way back to the Adirondack Park, a place
they once roamed.”

"When confronted about FWS' plan to delist
gray wolves, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell asserted that she
has no choice in the matter, 'it's about science and you do what the
science says.' Now that the peer review confirms our beliefs, the
Northeast Wolf Coalition wants to hold Jewell to her word," said Tara
Thornton, Endangered Species Coalition.

The public comment period remains open until March 27, 2014.Click here to submit your comment.

To learn more about the Northeast Wolf Coalition and FWS' delisting proposal, visit northeastwolf.org.

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The Northeast Wolf Coalition includes the following member organizations and supporters:

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Located in South Salem, NY, the Wolf Conservation Center (www.nywolf.org) exists to educate people about wolves and their valuable role in the environment, and to help protect their future in the wild. The WCC is home to ambassador wolves that visitors can observe in spacious natural enclosures. We also have over 20 wolves as part of our participation in Species Survival Plans for critically endangered Mexican Gray Wolves and Red Wolves. To learn more about us or to arrange a visit, please go to our website and follow us on Facebook. Questions about the blog? Email us at nywolf.org@gmail.com